The Most Powerful Choice You'll Ever Make Isn't Between Success & Failure, But Between Conformity & Authenticity.
10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on emerging your best ideas, creating long lasting sustainable value, and producing assets instead of commodities
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The Rundown 20: You Can Make a Good Living From a Traditional Path, Or You Can Make an Exceptional One Following Your Intuition
The Rundown 21: Build Something So Real, So True, That It Demands to Be Remembered
The Rundown 22: The World Might Not Be Watching Now, But They’ll Notice What You’ve Built
Hey Everyone,
Before I begin this week’s Rundown…
**I’m currently developing an All-in-One Notion Dashboard to help you streamline your creativity, productivity and income — so you can manage the technical, creative and financial aspect of your work easier. it's not just another project management tool or content calendar, but a complete operating system for the modern creative professional who needs to be both artistically fulfilled and commercially successful. You can join the waitlist here.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…
The Rundown — Here’s what I found over the course of this week that has helped me, inspired me or gave me some creative pushes…
On choosing authenticity over convention — "The most powerful choice you'll ever make isn't between success and failure, but between conformity and authenticity. Cross out what the world expects, write down what your soul knows.” (—) — I created this reminder because I've watched countless creators get trapped in the cycle of conventional wisdom. The crossed-out phrases represent the advice that pulls you away from your center - building brands instead of living purpose, creating content instead of sharing art, pursuing perfection instead of authenticity. The true path isn't about fitting in or following trends — it's about staying rare, trusting your talents, and making choices that align with your soul rather than momentary desires. Every time you choose the uncrossed path, you're not just creating differently — you're living differently. And that difference is what the world actually needs most from you.
On creating something original — "Every idea you have has been done before. So how do you create something original? It's not about talent. It's about how you think. First, consume differently. If you only read, watch, and listen to what everyone else does, you'll think just like them. Seek out unconventional ideas, obscure books, and perspectives outside your field. Second, make space to think. If your mind is constantly flooded with content, it never has time to process… Third, live first, create after." (—Sei Come Sei Agency) — Originality isn't found in isolation, but in intersection. The most innovative creators aren't necessarily those with the most talent, but those who combine diverse inputs in unique ways. I've found this to be profoundly true in my own work - my best ideas emerged when I deliberately stepped outside my usual information diet and created space for those ideas to collide. This is why I'm so adamant about intentional consumption and protecting your thinking space. NOTE — My upcoming 30-DAY Challenge addresses this — CHECK IT OUT HERE
On investing in creators instead of companies — "Silicon Valley investors realized that creators are not just creating content online. They're building businesses. They're investing in businesses. They're creating new products. They're driving demand for new product. And instead of just investing in those products, they decided to invest in the source of those ideas, in creators." (—Marina Mogilko) — This perfectly captures the paradigm shift I've been highlighting for years. What investors have always known in private has now gone public — they invest in people and their vision first, products second. The real value isn't in the individual offering, but in the mind that created it. This is why building your presence, sharing your thinking, and cultivating an audience puts unprecedented leverage in your hands. When you build a world around your unique perspective, you become more valuable than any single product or service you might offer. You're not just creating content — you're becoming the source that investors, partners, and audiences want direct access to. In this new creator economy, your voice and vision are the ultimate assets.
On building a brand based on your values, passion and mission — "Marketing is about values. This is a very complicated world… a very noisy world and we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us… our customers want to know who is Apple and what do we stand for. Where do we fit in this world. Apple, at its core value, is that we believe people with passion can change the world for the better. Those people that are crazy enough to believe they can change the world, are those that actually do." (—Steve Jobs) — In today's oversaturated marketplace, a brand that stands for something authentic cuts through the noise. Jobs understood that people don't just buy what you do — they buy why you do it. Your values, passion and mission aren't just nice additions to your brand - they're its foundation. When you build from this place of purpose, you create more than just a business; you create a movement that resonates deeply with those who share your vision. Your brand becomes not just recognizable, but meaningful — not just known, but trusted.
On fulfilling your vision and mission — “A true vision will always call you to a higher ground” (—Dennis Merritt Jones) — On a recent podcast, I spoke about having a vision for your life, how to lead a vision-led life, having faith everything will come together when we follow our call, embracing uncertainty as an opportunity to receive more, paying attention to our real intentions, being in constant search of growth and more — My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)
On treating what you make and consume like assets instead of commodities — "Many of us fashion designers are saying buy less, buy better.
We're the ones promoting this. I want you to get the right item, a few items, the right ones to really enhance your wardrobe over time." (—Bards Clothing) — This captures a profound shift in how we should approach both consumption and creation. Legacy systems push volume and planned obsolescence - products designed to be replaced rather than repaired, updated, or treasured. I see this same pattern playing out in content, relationships, and business too. What if we approached everything we create and consume as an asset rather than a disposable commodity? When you craft something built to last - whether it's content, products, or relationships - you're not just making something better, you're making a statement about value itself. This intentionality doesn't just benefit the end user; it transforms how we create. The real opportunities today aren't in making more things cheaper and faster, but in creating fewer things with deeper value - assets that appreciate over time rather than commodities that depreciate the moment they're acquired.
On pursuing a life of curiosity — "A creatively lived life is any life where consistently, routinely, habitually, and constantly, you choose the path of curiosity over the path of fear. Not once, not twice, not a few times, but all the times." (—Elizabeth Gilbert) — Gilbert's perspective on curiosity resonates deeply with me, especially as a companion to passion rather than a replacement. While passion provides the fire and fuel for your biggest endeavors, curiosity is the daily practice that sustains creative living. I've found that passion may fluctuate in intensity, but curiosity can be cultivated as a consistent practice. It's the slight tap on the shoulder that leads you down unexpected paths, connects disparate ideas, and ultimately shapes a life uniquely yours. The most fulfilled creators I know maintain both: they follow their passionate purpose while remaining endlessly curious about the world around them. This combination - purposeful passion with persistent curiosity - creates not just moments of inspiration but a lifetime of discovery.
On finding something you can genuinely commit to — "Find a thing you like. Find a thing that you genuinely enjoy because getting good at things you genuinely enjoy is extremely beneficial." (—Joe Rogan) — There's profound wisdom in this seemingly simple advice. I've consistently observed that sustainable excellence comes from authentic enjoyment, not forced discipline. When you genuinely enjoy something, consistency becomes natural rather than a struggle. The commitment flows from connection rather than obligation. This creates a powerful upward spiral: enjoyment leads to practice, practice leads to improvement, improvement leads to confidence, confidence leads to deeper enjoyment. I've seen this play out both in my own journey and in the successful people I've worked with. The most fulfilled creators aren't necessarily those who chose the most strategic path, but those who committed to what genuinely resonated with them.
On how abundance mindset changes the game — "You play very differently when you are in a game where earnings are unlimited." (—Eric Jorgenson) — Those who recognize that true value creation is unlimited play an entirely different game. They share more freely, collaborate more openly, and build for the long term. This connects directly to our theme of building for substance rather than speed. When you trust that meaningful work creates its own opportunities, you stop rushing to grab what's available now and start creating space for something more valuable to emerge. The most impactful creators aren't competing for existing resources - they're expanding what's possible for everyone.
Playlist — Chillout Jazz House DJ Mix - Relaxed Jazz Night — A great playlist from RE:TAPE Studios on YouTube @retapestudios of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.
The Most Powerful Choice You'll Ever Make Isn't Between Success & Failure, But Between Conformity & Authenticity.
Meaningful creation springs from choosing authenticity over convention, curiosity over fear, and value over volume.
Jobs' emphasis on values-driven brands, Gilbert's embrace of curiosity, and treating your work as assets to playing the unlimited game all point to a fundamental truth…
impactful work comes not from following formulas but from honoring what genuinely resonates.
This isn't just about creative strategy — it's about your entire relationship with creation.
When you build from curiosity rather than conformity, when you invest in vision rather than mere products, when you approach your work as lasting assets rather than disposable commodities — you stop creating things to simply be consumed.
The market is saturated with content, but starving for authenticity. It's flooded with brands, but thirsting for vision.
Your commitment to what genuinely moves you, your curiosity that leads beyond conventional thinking, your abundance mindset that sees unlimited possibilities — these aren't just nice approaches. They're the foundation of work that matters, that lasts, and that becomes uniquely yours.
Now go choose authenticity
Until next week,
– Matt
P.S. If you found value in this week's insights, consider sharing this post with someone who might need this reminder about the power of individuality. ↙️
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